Cigarette lighter



Jan. 7, 1958 M. MORRIS CIGARETTE LIGHTER Filed Feb. 8, 1957 IN VEN TOR.

-MOERl-S',

MECOM A TTOPA/EYS United States Patent *ice QGIGARETTE-LIGHTER Mecom Morris,' Houston, Tex Application Februaryfi, 1957,sSerinlNo639,057 3'(=3laims. clam m .The J present invention relates ..to cigarette aOr zcigar "lighters of,.the ,typehaviugsa fiintwstrikingtmeehanism.

.'An object -ofthe presentlinvention is. tmprovide arr-cigaretteilighter. which -is selfefilling.

"Another object ,of. the, presentdnventiontist-topprovide I13. cigarette lighter, which .lends. itself.tmarrfillingspperation whichgisysafe, :thereis,.no,;possibility ,of spillingathe .fuel

overfthe sides of.theplighter without.wastageof fuelraud without exposing .-excessively v.the ,supplyaof tfuel -tovthe atmosphere.

Afurther ,objecLoflthelpresenti inventionnisr to j rovide a cigarette lighter .Fwhich.'..is.. sturdy in construction sone simple, in? structure, .economicalto manufacture a and..astsemble, and one: whiclris i z yeffective zintaction.

These aridnthertobjects..and.advantages or rtheppresent invention will lbejfullyrapparenfl fromnther followingnde- .scr'iption when .tzkcniinmonnection with 1th?- an exed drawing, in which: Y

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lighter according to the presentinventiom shownzinaag positionaahove a fuel supply can; t

Figure 2 is a"section'al"view on an enlarged scale taken ionllthelliuerl lwoffigurerl;

Figure 3 is a sectional View on an on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of the assembly shown in Figure 2.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the cigarette lighter, according to the present invention comprises an upstanding casing having a vertically disposed partition 11 therein subdividing the interior of the casing 10 into a reservoir 12 and a pump chamber 13. The reservoir 12 is packed with a wick 14 and wadding 15 for absorbing a charge of liquid fuel.

The casing 10 has a top 16 on which is mounted a flint-striking mechanism 17 of conventional construction. The casing 10 has a bottom 18 which supports an upright hollow tube 19 within which is the conventional flint and spring for moving the flint into the mechanism 17.

A cup 21 rises from the bottom 18 within the pump chamber 13 and has an opening in one side thereof adjacent the partition 11 providing an outlet port for the chamber 13, the port being indicated by the reference numeral 22 and shown most clearly in Figure 5. The outlet port 22 connects the interior of the reservoir 12 in communication with the interior of the pump chamber 13.

A filler mechanism, indicated generally by the reference numeral 23, is positioned within the pump chamber 13 and comprises an upstanding hollow tube 24 normally within the chamber 13, the tube 24 having its upper end open and its lower end closed with ports 25 inwardly of the lower end of the tube 24, as shown most clearly in Figure 5.

The bottom 18 of the casing 10 is provided with an opening, indicated by the reference numeral 26, connect enlarged scale taken 2,818,717 iPatented Jarufl,

2 ing the interior of the chamber 13 withtthesexterior of atheeeasingsw. Ti'lhelruberzmsisumountedztiniithesopening 5.3.6. fcrpprojectilerand contractile movementifremthe lposr- :flQH'lWi'ihiDiiihEhQhQI-Hbfilblfi; Figure 5,! ftoaa positiongpro- 5 l iectingoutaof thetepeningfiFigurerz tilihe eulosed -mud .-.;of the ttube 5241 :is ;.proyided aa j fiangei-M engageableawith thessides rofzthefipeningt-zfi, .aanmwithrtheiadjacent portionwfrthestubeazsl constitutiug ameansa closing lathe peni-gg r126.- when the tube .124 ris win 10 thegtpoeitionawithinhthe tchamberrfi.

rmuupstandingssleeve 28, having-renainwardlyaturned .upperr-enda surrounds atresilientvwvasher-29vwhich-z1-forms tai-sealsabout the r-tube. 24aand 4 610565211135 ports fiSwvhen .ithe. tubeQhisa-in thetpositionfiwithin the chambertllmxas 15 ash wnsinwFigureifi. ,-.The-,.=uppertend :ofithefttubes-z lljs provided with. an outwardlysextending flange P31 i-Ptetventingithe movementofthe: tube-24. outof rthes-opening fi6'. t Rumpamcanssispprovidedwvithini that chamber .113 wand lhasrits outlet side-connected inszcommunicationswithnthe .,:out1et;, port.22, sucl1- means rembodying atresilientnba'g'sfl having its rgpensend portion surroundingtthetmppemend nofthe-tcppdl and connected intcommunicatiom with the .ppperreridsoftthe tube 24.

A normally closed checkvalve i33ais positioned-ewithin "the ,reservoirt12: andeis rattached rtotthe pa-rtition 11 in ssuchtauwayaas tomorma'lly close-ithe-:outlet port r22,::as eshownflinfulltlinesin Figured. ;'Ehe-va1ve,33,-is-.movahle ...to .thedottechline .positiomshown in (Figure 5 resp onsiue etmthe pressure,of..fuelflowing.throughthmoutletnportszl .rManuallyr.actuablermeansnis prouidedr by'ithe ,present f invention operativelyzconnectedtosthezbagu32, constituting ethe pump means; for. collapsingthe 1bagi 32 when/the slQWEI selid .ofathettube. 24 :has. been.-lowered=.i=.ntona= supplynof ifuellgan'd :is submerged therein, as lShGW-Jl rinr'liigure .52. 35 l-lpecifically,ithis,.last namedsrneansi com-prises 1a zlever.r3..4 rpivotallyr connected intermediate its=ends to therwallsofrhe .calsing ;10.-and..having-.,a,portiona exteriorlywfvthewcasipg, and another portion within the chamber 13, and operatively connected to the bag 32 for effecting the collapsing of the latter.

A vertically disposed spring 35, formed integrally with the casing 10, is arranged longitudinally of the bag 32 on one side of the latter intermediate the bag 32 and the lever 34. A pivot pin 36 has its ends journalled in the wall of the casing 10 and supports the lever 34 for movement from the full line position, Figure 2, to a dotted line position, in which the portion adjacent one end, indicated by the reference numeral 37, bears against the spring 35 and causes the spring 35 to collapse the bag 32 into the position in Figure 2 shown in dotted lines, causing the air to be dispelled from the interior of the bag 32. This movement of the lever 34 is accomplished by inserting a fingernail underneath the free end of the portion 38 of the lever 34 and pulling it to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2.

A fuel supply can is indicated by the reference numeral 39 in Figures 1 and 2, and has a well 41 adjacent the discharge opening 42 for holding a charge of liquid fuel.

In use, the lighter, according to the present invention, is filled with liquid fuel by manually actuating the lever 34 to alternatingly compress the bag 32 to drive the air therefrom, and with the lower end of the tube 24 submerged in a supply of fuel, release of the lever 34, so that the natural resiliency of the bag 32 causes fuel to be drawn up into the interior of the bag 32. Upon compression of the bag 32, the fuel will be expelled from the open end of the tube 24 through the chamber outlet port and into the reservoir 12.

It will be seen, therefore, that the tube 24 can be manually withdrawn from the interior of the bag 32 and inserted in the well 41 of the can 39 with the bottom 18 of the casing 10 adjacent to and spaced above the dis- 6 t charge opening 42. This will permit filling of the reservoir 12 with fuel without spillage, wastage, and without excessive exposure of the contents of the can 39 to the atmosphere. What is claimed is: a I

- 1. In a lighter, an upstanding casing having a reservoir and a chamber having an outlet port connecting said chamber inv communication with said reservoir, there being an opening in the bottom of said casing connecting the interior of said chamber with the exterior of said casing, a; filler mechanism mounted in said chamber, said mechanism comprising an upstanding hollow tube normally within said chamber and having the lower end" provided with means normally closing said opening, said tube being mounted in said chamber for projectile and contractile movement into and out of said chamber and adapted when in the projected position to have the lower end thereof submerged in a supply of fuel, pump means positioned within said chamber and operatively connected to 7 said tube, said pump means having its outlet side connected in communication with said chamber outlet port, and manually actuable means exteriorly of said casing and operatively connected to said pump means for actuating the latter when said tube is in the projected position and has the lower end thereof submerged in a supply of fuel for conveying fuel from said fuel supply through said tube, said pump means outlet side, said chamber outlet port, and into said reservoir.

2. In a lighter, an upstanding casing having a reservoir and a chamber having an outlet port connecting said chamber in communication with said reservoir, there being an opening in the bottom of said casing connecting the interior of said chamber with the exterior of said casing, a filler mechanism mounted in said chamber, said mechanism comprising an upstanding hollow tube normally within said chamber and having the lower end provided with means normally closing said opening, said tube being mounted in said chamber for projectile and contractile movement into and out of said chamber and adapted when in the projected position to have the lower end thereof submerged in a supply-of fuel, pump means positioned within said chamber and operatively connected to said tube, said pump means having its outlet side connected in communication with said chamber outlet port, a normally closed check valve in said outlet port, and manually actuable means exteriorly of said casing and operably connected to said pump means for actuating the latter when said tube is in the projected position and has the lower end thereof submerged in a supply of fuel for conveying fuel from said fuel supply through said tube, said pump means outlet side, said chamber outlet port, and into said reservoir.

3. In a lighter, an upstanding casing having a reservoir and a chamber having an outlet port connecting said chamber in communication with said reservoir, there being an opening in the bottom of said casing connecting the interior of said chamber withthe exterior of said casing, a filter mechanism mounted in said chamber, said mechanism comprising an upstanding .hollow tube normally within said chamber and having the lower end provided with means normally closing said opening, said tube being mounted in said chamber for projectile and contractile movement into and out of said chamber and adapted when in the projected position to have the lower end thereof submerged in a supply of fuel, a resilient bag having one end open positioned within said chamber with its open end connected in cormnunication with the upper end of said tube and with said chamber outlet port, a normally closed check valve in said chamber outlet port,

a hand actuable lever having a portion adjacent'one end thereof exteriorly of said casing and having a portion adjacentthe other end operatively connected to said bag for collapsing the latter when said tube is in the projected position-and has the lower end thereof submerged in a supply "of fuel for conveying fuel from said fuel supply A through said tube, said open end of said bag, said chamber outlet port. and into said reservoir.

References Cited in the fileof this patent" Y UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,830,966 Stem et al, Nov. 10, 1931 

